Bucket List...
I had a few things on mine.
A Muscle Car for one.
Early Mustang or Firebird say, Late 60s...
or Mid 50s to Mid 60s Vette.
There are a few guns still on the list
IF I should come across one, at a good price,
or I sell a few of the training Glocks living in the safe from my Teaching days.
I am not out actively searching, or digging thru gunshows:
A Colt Diamondback in .38 (To partner with the .22 Caliber I bought in the early 80s)
A Nice Stag Gripped Single Action 38/357 with Stag Grips. Doesn't have to be a real Colt, A Ruger or Uberti will work.
Colt Gold Cup National Match 1911 45 Stainless. I borrowed one while my Springfield Match gun was being built and won two matches with it. The owner wouldn't sell it as he had promised it to his son. Not only a beautiful gun, but WAY more accurate than I.
M1 Garand National Match - Getting scarce these days, and way dear to purchase, but I shot one when shooting for the Marine Team in Hawaii and it was Killer in the High Power matches. Then we switched to the M-14s. So, I guess a Match M-1A, the civilian version of the M-14 would do.
A Thompson SubMachine Gun, but the SemiAuto version. Heavy Dog, but way cool. Stick mag, don't need the drum. Not practical, don't NEED one, just always liked them.
None of these things are priorities. Miss T and I count ourselves lucky these days.
Some advice for those of you who have Bucket Lists of things you REALLY want to do or see, want to have while you can enjoy them.
Try and make them happen now.
I had a lot of things on my original list for when I retired.
Trout Streams to fish high in the mountains.
Wading the flats and casting the 8wt fly rods at the bone fish in the keys,
Flats Boats in the Caribbean and those big boys down there.
We wanted to take the long trips we put off when the kids were living at home.
Criss cross the country and see all the sights, take a few more cruises, just the two of us, especially the Alaskan cruise...
After teaching firearms for years and attending NRA Schools and the Instructor School at Quantico, I was going to attend the shooting schools at Blackwater and Gunsite, just because I had the time.
With just five years to go to full retirement, there was an unexpected turn in my health and I retired early on medical disability.
Wow, Early Retirement, with pay.
Folks all got Jealous and started saying "Lucky You."
"Man, it must be nice to just do what you want all the time."
Can't wade the trout streams, though I can fly fish from the kayaks.
Can't really attend the shooting schools, not really. They would make allowances for the chair, but it wouldn't be the same. I can shoot on my range.. for which I am grateful, but
We can't really criss cross the country because long drives are painful. Don't spend much time in the truck anymore.
Wow, Early Retirement...
I don't look back at all the
things I can't do, although I know a lot of folks at the VA that spend all their time doing just that.
I look forward to all the things I CAN do.
I included this part... so those of you who have the time can see that maybe you might want to take the time NOW to tick off a few items on your list... just in case.
You never know what tomorrow will bring.
"There's always tomorrow" they always say. Maybe not.
